Cocobolo is the harsh tropical hardwood of the Central American tree belonging to the genus Dalbergia . Only wooden terraces are used; usually orange or reddish-brown, often with darker irregular trails bobbing from wood. Gubal (not often used) creamy yellow, with sharp border with pith. The heart changes color after cut.
The pits are solid; some cocobolo have a specific gravity of more than 1.0, and will be immersed in water.
Video Cocobolo
Usage
Because it stands well for handling and exposure to water over and over, the common use is on the rifle handles and the knife handle. It's very hard, smooth textured, and solid, but easy to do. The abundance of natural oils, however, causes the wood to clump abrasive and chainsaw saws very sharply, like other loud hard tropical hardwoods. Due to its density and hardness, even large wooden beams will produce clear musical tones if attacked. It is used to make musical instruments, such as oboes and clarinets, for "warm rich palettes". Cocobolo can be polished to become shiny, like glass. It has also been used to make the guitar neck and has also been used as a replacement for Rosewood Brazil since it was registered in 1992.
Maps Cocobolo
Oil content
The cocobolo puree contains oil, which gives a strong floral scent and is not even mistaken on well-seasoned wood and sometimes stains the hand with long exposure. The high natural oil content of wood makes it difficult to achieve strong glue and can inhibit the preservation of some varnishes, especially those based on oil. Acetone can be used to remove surface oil before gluing. Oil may induce an allergic reaction if inhaled or exposed to unprotected skin and eyes. Dust collection systems, coupled with the use of personal protective equipment such as respirators, are highly recommended when machining this wood.
Provenance
Cocobolo is produced by two to four closely related species from the genus Dalbergia , the most notable being Dalbergia retusa , fair-sized trees, reportedly reaching 75-80 ft (23-24 m ) at altitude and 3Ã, ft (0.9 m) in diameter; This may be a species that accounts for most timber in trade. Due to the high value of timber, the trees that produce them are very exploited, so they become scarce outside national parks, nature reserves, and plantations. Only a small number of these precious woods reach the world market, and the price is expensive.
Uses
In addition to its use in rifle handles and knife handles, cocobolo is preferred for smooth inlay work for special billiard rods, police sticks, pens, back brushes, and musical instruments, especially guitars, drums and bass. Some woodwind instruments, such as clarinets, oboes, and bagpipes, have been made using cocobolo instead of the normal grenadilla (African blackwoods). Further use includes veneers, bowls, jewelry boxes, ducks and geese, and other expensive specialty items.
Preservation
Logs, sawn timber, and veneer sheets from the Guatemalan population of Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa ), have been registered under the CITES Appendix III since 2008. In 2011, Panama extended the list to include all products except seeds and powder cider and finished products are packed and ready for retail trade.
For the CITES Conference of March 2013, Belize has proposed registering Cocobolo to Appendix II.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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